Many laparoscopic devices include a pair of jaws for grasping, stapling, or otherwise effecting tissue. For example, surgical clip appliers are commonly used for ligating a blood vessel, a duct, shunt, or a portion of body tissue during surgery. Most clip appliers typically have a handle with an elongate shaft having a pair of movable opposed jaws formed on an end thereof for holding and forming a ligation clip therebetween. The jaws are positioned around the vessel or duct in, and the clip is crushed or formed on the vessel by the closing of the jaws.
Movement of the jaws between open and closed positions is controlled by a former assembly, which transmits a force from the handle to the opposed jaws. The force required to close the jaws can increase with thicker or stiffer tissue, and/or in applications where the jaws are applying a closure mechanism, such as a clip or staple, to the tissue. In the event that excessive forces are transmitted by the former assembly, undesired damage to the tissue can result. In addition, since the former assembly requires precise timing and coordinated movement between numerous other components, excessive forces applied to close the jaws can result in damage to the jaws, the former assembly, or additional components of the surgical clip applier.
Accordingly, despite existing technologies, there remains a need for improved devices and methods for preventing overload of a force applied to close opposed jaws of a surgical device.